The present invention relates to archery, and more particularly to a field tip that is ballistically and/or aerodynamically matched to a broadhead with cutting blades and a related method of use.
In the field of archery, there is a variety of broadheads used to harvest game, such as deer, elk, moose and other wildlife. Most broadheads have two or more sharpened cutting blades that are configured to cut tissue and blood vessels, and promote bleeding upon entry of the broadhead into the game. Some broadheads have blades that are replaceable relative to a ferrule of the broadhead. A popular fixed, replaceable three-blade construction is the Striker™ available from G5 Outdoors LLC. Other broadheads are of a monolithic single-piece structure with a number of permanent blades with sharpened cutting edges. A well-established, standard monolithic broadhead in the industry is the Montec™ which is also available from G5 Outdoors LLC. Yet other broadheads are referred to as mechanical broadheads, which include blades that move and/or expand relative to a ferrule. A common mechanical broadhead is the Havoc™, also available from G5 Outdoors LLC.
An issue with most broadheads is that they typically fly differently from practice field tip points used by an archer in everyday target practice. Thus, for an archer to confirm that the bladed broadheads fly along a desired trajectory resulting in an accurate hit on a target, the archer must shoot the broadhead into a target one or more times during practice. When an archer performs this practice with the broadhead several things can occur. First, the sharpened blades of the broadhead impact the material of the target, which is usually foam, thermoplastic or a fabric material. Upon such impact, the sharpened blades can become dulled. This is undesirable—if the broadhead is later shot at game, it will not have the same cutting effect and may lead to a less humane harvest. Second, the broadhead may fly substantially differently than the archer's field tip points, which typically are designed so that they are more aerodynamic and produce less drag than the broadhead. In such a case, the broadhead may not impact the target at all, and instead may impact the ground or other objects beyond the target. Such impact can damage or destroy the broadhead, and in many cases, substantially dull the blade. Third, if the broadhead is a mechanical broadhead, upon impact with the target, the blades deploy. After extracting the broadhead from the target, the archer must carefully reset the blades to a pre-flight, un-deployed state. This can be time consuming, particularly if portions of the target become lodged in parts of the broadhead's features.
Some manufacturers of mechanical expandable broadheads have attempted to address these issues by molding a practice broadhead as a single unitary structure that has the exact same shape and structure as the actual mechanical broadhead, but in the retracted, un-deployed configuration. Thus, the practice broadhead has a tip and blades that are un-deployed—and incapable of deploying—relative to a body of the practice broadhead. Due to the practice broadhead being virtually identical in structure to the actual mechanical broadhead in the un-deployed state, the practice broadhead usually will fly aerodynamically similar to the actual broadhead. Because the practice broadhead has the exact same structure as the un-deployed actual broadhead, however, it can be difficult and complicated to mold. Further, due to the same structure, the practice broadhead includes blades that tend to tear up and destroy the target, much more than conventional field tips.
Accordingly, there remains room for improvement in the field of archery practice tips that mimic the flight of actual bladed broadheads for improved and consistent accuracy.